The longest running transfer sagas

1. Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona, 2011

Setting the tone for the modern day transfer saga is the daddy of them all - Cesc Fabregas' return to Barcelona in August 2011. Having moved to Arsenal from his native Catalonia in 2003, the midfielder was repeatedly touted as a target for his boyhood club as he established himself as a Premier League star in north London.

The Liga giants began to up the stakes in 2009, with everyone from club captain Xavi to then president Joan Laporta discussing Fabregas' increasingly inevitable transfer back to Camp Nou. And so a two-year wrangle ensued, during which the 25-year-old was draped in a Barcelona shirt by Carlos Puyol and Gerard Pique as Spain celebrated their 2010 World Cup win.

Yet the Blaugrana would be forced to wait another year to get their man, with Fabregas himself committing his immediate future to the Gunners during the window. Arsenal's resolve would not prove as strong 12 months down the line, however, as the player's protracted transfer was finally brought to a conclusion by Barcelona's £35 million bid.

Wednesday, 9 January 2013 08:00

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The longest running transfer sagas

The longest running transfer sagas

As Tottenham's interest in Internacional striker Leandro Damiao looks to be finally nearing its conclusion after a two-year chase with the north Londoners readying a £15 million bid for the Brazilian, Goal.com takes a look back at some of the longest-running transfer sagas of recent years.

From Cesc Fabregas' protracted return to Barcelona, to Paul Gascoigne's injury-hampered switch to Lazio, here are the moves which have dominated the back pages in seasons gone by.